Team Australia Wins The 2013 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship In Nicaragua

Team Australia is the new ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Gold Medal Team and winners of the Team Champion Trophy.

In the individual divisions, Hawaii’s Josh Moniz won the Boys Under-18, Hawaii’s Tatiana Weston-Webb won the Girls Under-18, Australia’s Jacob Wilcox won the Boys Under-16, and Hawaii’s Mahina Maeda won the Girls Under-16 in the incredible waves at Playa Jiquiliste.

“This is the end of an amazing World Championship. It’s a happy and sad end. We are very happy because it was a very successful event, but it’s sad because it means we have to leave Nicaragua,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “We have confirmed what we discovered last year, a surfing paradise. It was in our dreams, a small nation in Central America full of waves, offshore winds, good people and very accessible. Nicaragua has been so good, that all of us, the 500 people that came for the event, will continue to come back here and tell the rest of the world about it.”

Aguerre continued, “On that note, I’m very happy to announce that the 2014 World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship, will be held in Nicaragua in the ocean that gave us all these great waves, and also in their beautiful Lake Nicaragua.”

After a week full of excellent waves and conditions, the final day did not disappoint. The surf was in the waist to chest-high range with perfect offshore winds all day long, providing great waves for the surfers to perform at their highest level. The first final in the water was the Girls Under-16, where Hawaii’s Mahina Maeda, posted the best total heat score of the whole event, 19.16, earning the Gold Medal and World Championship.

“I got a six and a five in the beginning of the heat. I got a great start and I was leading the whole heat, it was a great feeling,” said the new Girls Under-16 World Champion. “I knew that I needed a bigger score to build up my heat total. I know these girls are capable of getting big scores. I had the confidence in me, so I came from behind, didn’t hassle with anybody, and got the scores I needed. I’m really proud of myself.”

The Silver Medal went to Tahiti’s Karelle Poppke (13.27), the Bronze to Hwaii’s Dax McGill (10.57) and the Copper to USA’s Frankie Harrer (4.86). Up next was the Boys Under-16 Grand Final. Australia’s Jacob Wilcox won the Gold, earning 14.90 points, in a very close final against Silver Medalist Leonardo Fioravanti (14.73) from Italy. The Bronze went to Jake Marshall (12.20) from USA and the Copper to Reo Inaba (11.76) from Japan.

“It was a really tight heat,” said the new Boys Under-16 World Champion. “I got a 6.5 on my first wave, then Leonardo (Fioravanti) got an 8, so the pressure was back on me. I needed to get an 8 also. I’m just so happy to win the Final and be a World Champion. It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. I’m so happy. I don’t even know how to describe how I feel now. I’m just so happy, feels like I’m floating. This is my second year competing in a ISA event, and it means a lot to be able to represent my country, Australia.”

“Getting the gold here in Nicaragua this year means so much to me; I wanted it so bad,” said the new Girls Under-18 World Champion. “It has been my goal for a really long time, I’m super happy. It was a really long and hard week. Our team stayed focused on being a family during the whole contest, and I think that was our advantage. I’m really psyched to have a Gold Medal; I don’t have any words to describe it.”

The Hawaiian, earning 15.50, defeated Silver Medalist Stephanie Single (AUS,12.10), Bronze Medalist Nikki Veisins (USA, 11.07) and Copper Medalist Chelsea Tuach (BAR, 9.17). In the Boys Under-18 Final, Hawaii’s Josh Moniz won the Gold after posting two big scores at the beginning of the Final, a 7.00 and 7.43, for a total of 14.43. Australia’s Soli Bailey followed closely, but couldn’t find a wave to advance over Moniz, earning 14.40 and the Silver Medal.

“I was nervous, and I got my two scores in the first five minutes,” said the new Boys Under-18 World Champion. “I thought that Soli was in the lead because he had an 8 and a 6, so I thought that I still needed a big score, but once I heard that I was winning I was watching out for Soli, because he’s a super good surfer. I think he got a six on another wave. I got lucky enough and I won.”

Andy Criere, from France, won the Bronze Medal, finishing third with 10.84 and Australia’s Luke Hynd won the Copper Medal placing fourth with 5.70. The last event of the 2013 DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship was the exciting ISA Aloha Cup, a tag-team competition, with the participation of the 7 best countries from last year’s ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (Australia, Brazil, France, Hawaii, Japan, Peru and USA) along with the local team, Nicaragua.

It is important to note that Nicaragua was fielding its first ever Junior Team in ISA competition. After two semifinals where four of the eight teams advance, the Grand Final featured Australia, Japan, Peru and USA. Team Japan won the Gold Medal exhibiting a smart strategy and displaying high-level surfing skills. Japan defeated USA (Silver), Peru (Bronze) and Australia (Copper).

Two special events took place today. First was a presentation from the people of Tola, which is region that includes Playa Jiquiliste, to ISA President Aguerre. Community leaders gathered and delivered a special gift in appreciation of the ISA coming to their city. Part of the presentation was the telling of the traditional story called “La Novia de Tola” or “Tola’s Girlfriend,” which has turned into mythical story about a social scandal between a couple.

The second special event was the “Tola Groms Expression Session.” Team Nicaragua’s Captain, Jackson Obando, who was born and lives in Tola, surfed a 15-minute heat alongside four of Tola’s best young surfers. The local surfers put on a great show for the nearly fifteen hundred local spectators and competitors on the beach. When the surfing competition concluded, the Closing Ceremony took place to officially close the 2013 DAKINE ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and award the team trophies and individual medals.

For a full list of results visit: http://isawjsc.com/results/
For the full event coverage with daily videos and photo galleries visit- http://www.isawjsc.com/

About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running the Open Division World Championship since 1964, the World Junior Surfing Championship since 1980, the World Masters Surfing Championship since 2007, the World Bodyboard Championship since 2011, the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in China, and the World Standup Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship beginning in 2012. The ISA also sanctions the World Kneeboard Titles and the World Tandem Surfing Championship, and will launch the World Longboard Championship in 2013. ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 73 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected seven times since. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Alan Atkins (AUS), Karín Sierralta (PER), Debbie Beacham (USA) and Layne Beachley (AUS).